1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mounting device for a V-configured engine, and in particular, to a mounting device for a V-configured engine in which the mounting strength of an engine mounting bracket is increased without reinforcing other component parts, such as a chain cover, that are positioned adjacent to the engine mounting bracket and without increasing the size and weight of the V-configured engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Automotive engines, which may be in-line engines, V-configured engines, and the like, are mounted on automobile bodies by being resiliently supported by mounting devices so that vibrations due to variations in the driving force of the engine are not transmitted to the automobile bodies. The mounting devices include engine mounting brackets mounted on the engines, body-side mounting brackets mounted on the bodies, and engine mounts for connecting between the engine mounting brackets and the body side mounting brackets, thereby resiliently supporting the engines.
Such mounting devices for a V-configured engine are disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Application Publication No. 6-27268, and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 5-33896 and 6-193460.
The mounting device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Application Publication No. 6-27268, is such that in an engine which is transversely mounted between a pair of side frames and is resiliently supported via an engine mount at one of the side frames at an intermediate portion of a front end of the engine in the crankshaft-axial direction, an idler is mounted on the engine substantially at an intermediate portion of the front end of the engine via an idler-mounting bracket, and the idler-mounting bracket extends toward a front side-frame, the extending portion of the idler-mounting bracket being connected to the engine mount.
The mounting device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 5-33896 is such that in a V-configured internal combustion engine provided with a timing chain mounted between camshafts of both banks and a crankshaft, a water pump is disposed between the camshaft of one of the banks and the crankshaft, a water pump sprocket engages the timing chain at the rear side thereof, and an engine-mount boss is formed at a central portion of the banks enclosed by the timing chain.
The mounting device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 6-193460 is such that in a transverse V-configured engine, a chain is mounted on a first sprocket of an intake camshaft of one bank, a second sprocket of an exhaust camshaft of the other bank, and a third sprocket of a crankshaft, a cover for covering the chain is provided, an engine-mounting bracket including a clamp portion is disposed between the banks, a lower portion of the engine-mounting bracket is fixed to a cylinder block together with a block-side portion of the chain cover by screws as are commonly used, and an upper portion of the engine-mounting bracket is fixed to a cylinder head disposed under the intake camshaft of the other bank together with a cylinder-head-side portion of the chain cover by screws as are commonly used.
A mounting device for a V-configured engine includes a bracket-mounting portion at the top of a cylinder block in a space between the engine banks, an engine-mounting bracket mounted at the bracket-mounting portion, a body-side mounting bracket mounted at the body side, and an engine-mount which connects the engine-mounting bracket and the body-side mounting bracket, whereby the mounting device resiliently supports a V-configured engine.
The mounting device for a V-configured engine may be provided with a bracket-mounting portion formed on a component portion, such as a chain cover or a cylinder head, other than that provided on the cylinder block, in order to increase the mounting strength of the engine-mounting bracket.
However, when the bracket-mounting portion is formed on the chain cover or the cylinder head, there is a risk of deformation of the chain cover or the cylinder head due to an external force applied to the engine-mounting bracket, thereby causing leakage of oil or cooling water.
In the known mounting devices, the mounting strength must be increased by reinforcing the chain cover or the cylinder head. As a result, however, a problem in that the engine cannot be easily mounted to an automobile body occurs because the size and the weight of the engine increase because of the reinforcement by increasing the wall thickness, forming ribs, or the like.
On the other hand, when the bracket-mounting portion disposed on the chain cover or the cylinder head is omitted, the mounting strength may be decreased because of an insufficient supporting force of the engine-mounting bracket.